In the workplace, it's necessary to be clear and respectful in expressing yourself particularly if you're not at fault for a problem or error. Merely uttering "It's not my fault" comes across as defensive, rude, or abrupt. On the other hand, there are numerous courteous, professional, and diplomatic options available that preserve trust and communication and make your point.
50 Professional Ways to Say “It’s Not My Fault” in English
Polite & Diplomatic Phrases
- I realize there's concern, but I wasn't included in that procedure.
- Let me clarify my role in this.
- I wasn’t part of the decision-making for that.
- This seems to have occurred before my involvement.
- I’m happy to help fix it, though it wasn’t my responsibility.
- I wasn't assigned that task.
- I followed the instructions provided.
- That falls outside my area of responsibility.
- Let me check with the team who handled that.
- I believe there might be a misunderstanding here.
Indirect but Clear Statements
- That wasn’t under my control.
- I wasn't told about that.
- That was decided by another department.
- I wasn't responsible for that phase of the project.
- This problem appears to be from another area.
- I don't think that was within my scope.
- That wasn't something I was managing.
- It might have occurred before I was involved on the project.
- I wasn't aware of that information.
- My responsibility was confined to another area of the process.
Positive & Problem-Solving Phrases
- Let's work together and figure out what went wrong.
- I'm committed to fixing this, even though I wasn't part of the problem.
- I'm here to assist with figuring this out.
- I'll do my best to help, although I wasn't in charge of this aspect.
- Let's walk through the steps and identify where things were done incorrectly.
- I'll assist in looking into what occurred.
- Let's get in touch with the person who can handle this.
- I'll assist in correcting it, even though it didn't come from my side.
- I'd be happy to leave this to the team that worked on that.
- I'll discuss with the concerned individuals.
More Formal Options
- This issue seems to have started elsewhere.
- As per my records, I wasn't working on that stage.
- That is the responsibility of another team.
- I know that it was worked upon by someone else.
- I'd like to emphasize that my involvement started after that matter.
- The responsibility for that is beyond my scope.
- My role in this project had nothing to do with that task.
- The task was not in my mandate.
- I wasn't the go-to person for that issue.
- That was not among my deliverables.
Light, Friendly, Yet Clear
- Oh! I wasn't involved in that one.
- I believe that was someone else's decision.
- That wasn't on my agenda, but I can assist.
- No idea how that happened—it didn't come through me.
- I wasn't brought in on that decision.
- That was dealt with by another team.
- My name's not on that ticket, but let's investigate.
- I'm more than happy to see what went wrong, even if it wasn't from my end.
- I wasn't the lead on that, but I'll help where I can.
- Let's sort out who can do this best.
Conclusion
Admitting "It's not my fault" incorrectly can damage your work image. But by using either of the above professional sentences, you can state your innocence while demonstrating you remain a team member concerned with fixing problems.
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